INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS IN THE LAWS OF PHYSICS

Abstract

The fundamental constants of physics have seemingly arbitrary values, that is, we do not know why they have these values. However, important properties of the universe depend directly on these values, since, if they were different, the world would be completely different, and may not even be able to produce the complex molecules that make up living organisms. There is, therefore, a scientific interest in the search for understanding the origin of these constants and even in verifying whether they are in fact constants. The Brans–Dicke theory, formulated in the 1960s, assumes that the gravitational constant G is a field with its own dynamics. Other theories looking at the possibility that fundamental constants are not constant were developed in later years, with varying degrees of success. The present work aimed to carry out a review of these theories, focusing on their essential aspects, seeking an overview of the fundamental constants. In particular, we examine the possibility of a relationship between two important constants, Boltzmann's and Planck's.